Perimeter temperature controlled heating and cooling system

ABSTRACT

The purpose of the invention is to create an improved system of climate control over the traditional heating and cooling systems. It involves forcing temperature conditioned air into a system of ductwork. The ductwork runs from the heating and cooling system to a plurality of air cavities between the outer wall and the inner wall of a building. Therefore, the treated air is not forced into the occupied space of the building, but on the interior of the walls. By doing so, this permits the living or working environment to maintain a much more stable temperature as opposed to traditional forced air heating or cooling, which tend to have a high temperature gradient within the interior of a building and are also subject to high temperature changes within the course of a day or even minutes. This system may also be combined with other traditional or yet to be determined heating and cooling systems.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This invention is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/904,877 filed the fifth of March, 2007.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISK APPENDIX

Not Applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a method and system of controlling the temperature of a building.

2. Background

In modern times, it is quite rare to find a home that does not have some sort of heating and cooling system. There are many different kinds of both types of systems and the mechanism by which the heat is transferred to or from the living environment varies considerably. For these homes that utilize these systems, there are many different factors that determine which one to choose and many consumers must compromise due to the limitations of each.

The standard heating or cooling system takes in air (either from outside or re-circulated), conditions it (by raising or lowering the temperature), then forces the air back into the building's interior. The interior temperature then adjusts accordingly. To maintain this difference in temperature and improve efficiency of the heating and cooling systems, the standard method is to insulate the building with insulating material inside the walls, as well as sealing any openings (doors, windows, etc.) to let the least amount of air pass through. The air on the inside of the building is then treated in order to raise or lower its temperature. The result is a temperature gradient between the inside and outside of the building.

There are several disadvantages to the standard heating and cooling methods. Efficiency and uniformity of the interior temperature are the primary issues that face building owners. Hot or cool spots within a home or office are very common and, oftentimes, unavoidable without extensive ductwork and/or additional heating/cooling systems. There are many alternatives available to consumers but they bring about other issues, as well. There is especially the need to have a system that is easily maintained and standard enough to be repairable by most heating and cooling system technicians. It's not preferable to have a system that would require a specialized technician that would perform maintenance or service work on the system.

Efficiency is most affected by the heating or cooling unit itself and the degree of insulation in the building. Many new heating/cooling units are designed with outstanding efficiency in mind as long as they are properly maintained. The problem is typically not with the unit itself, but with the insulation and the inevitable heat transfer between areas of two highly different temperatures. When properly installed and with high quality parts, a building's heating/cooling system can run very efficiently. However, when dealing with large areas or extreme temperatures, it takes a lot of energy to change the temperature even a degree warmer or cooler and it takes a longer time to do so. When temperatures are at their extremes is when utility bills tend to get higher and heating/cooling systems work the least efficiently. At this point, the building owner is faced with high utility bills and, oftentimes, decreased performance of the heating/cooling system.

The uniformity of the interior temperature is a considerable problem with many systems. Forced air systems only work as well as the air can be efficiently circulated. However, at very low temperatures, most heating/cooling systems work less efficiently. An occupant of the building that stood in the path of this air would feel cold since the air coming from the unit would not be substantially greater than room temperature. The room's temperature would be rising but the flow of air would actually make the room feel cooler and less comfortable. In addition, with forced air being used to cool a building, it is typically uncomfortable to be in the vicinity of the air vent(s). The air that comes from the unit is much cooler than we would normally prefer. For many other systems, there tends to be a great difference in temperature between different rooms. This is highly dependent on the ductwork of the forced air system. Most buildings have rooms that are warmer or cooler than others, whether they utilize heat pumps or other types of heating/cooling systems that are situated outdoors. These “hot spots” and “cool spots” greatly decrease the comfort inside a building when temperature conditioned air is forced inside.

Overall, it is the object of this invention to devise a heating and cooling system that is efficient and provides the most comfortable environment with a stable interior temperature.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to create an improved system of climate control over the traditional heating and cooling systems. The basics of the invention can best be described by narrowing the field of view down to a single roomed building. A forced air heating and cooling system is located outside of the building. Essentially, the conditioned air is blown throughout a cavity that encompasses the entire building. The air in this cavity is maintained at a particular temperature. By doing so, the temperature of the interior is also maintained at a comfortable level without blowing heated or cooled air into the room itself. Essentially, these air cavities, coupled with other insulating material, work to give the building even more insulating potential and provide a stable interior temperature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1. Cutout side view of a single room building (8) showing the system as described in claim 2 where the building's intake duct (6) is located beneath the floor of the building (8) and the building's exhaust duct (3) is located above the roof of the building (8). The air cavity (4) is depicted as being between the layer of insulation (2) and the inner wall (5).

FIG. 2. Cutout overhead view of a single room building (8) showing the system as described in claim 2 with 2 building intake ducts (6) which are connected together. The primary purpose of this drawing is to depict the air flow inside the air cavity (4) as it flows out of the opening in the intake ductwork (6) and into the air cavity (4) and between joists and studs (9) which are present in a large percentage of homes.

FIG. 3. Cutout overhead view of a single room building (8) showing the system as described in claim 2 with 2 building exhaust ducts (3) which are connected together. The primary purpose of this drawing is to depict the air flow inside the air cavity (4) as it flows out of the air cavity (4) between the joists and studs (9) and into the opening of the exhaust ductwork (3).

FIG. 4 A schematic diagram of how the invention would be set up as described in claim 2. It shows the air coming from the outlet (11) of the source of temperature conditioned air (10) then going through the intake ductwork (6) to the building (8) and being circulated into the air cavity (4) between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (1). It also shows the air coming from the exhaust ductwork (3) (which draws the air from the air cavity (4) between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (1)) from the building (8) and being returned to the return intake (12) of the source of the temperature conditioned air (10). The location of the insulation (2) and the interior occupied/living space (7) are also depicted.

FIG. 5 A schematic diagram of how the invention would be set up as described in claim 4. It shows the air coming from the outlet (11) from the source of temperature conditioned air (10) then going through the intake ductwork (6) to the building (8) and being circulated into the air cavity (4) between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (1). It also shows the air coming from the exhaust ductwork (3) (which draws the air from interior occupied/living space (7)) from the building (8) and being returned to the return intake (12) of the source of the temperature conditioned air (10). The location of the insulation (2) is also depicted.

FIG. 6 A schematic diagram of how the invention would be set up as described in claim 5. It shows the air coming from the outlet (11) of the source of temperature conditioned air (10) then going through the intake ductwork (6) to the building (8) and being circulated into the interior occupied/living space (7). It also shows the air coming from the exhaust ductwork (3) (which draws the air from the air cavity (4) between the inner wall (5) and the outer wall (1)) from the building (8) and being returned to the return intake (12) of the source of the temperature conditioned air (10). The location of the insulation (2) and the interior occupied/living space (7) is also depicted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention as described consists of a source of temperature conditioned air, most likely a source of heated air and a separate source of cooled air, a structure as specified, and a system of ductwork which moves air from the source of temperature conditioned air. The source of heated air (above the outside temperature) and cooled air (below the outside temperature) can be of any type, so long as they provide heated and cooled air separately when necessary. This description will refer to both units collectively as the “heating/cooling system.” The abovementioned structure consists of, but is not limited to, insulation material, an outer wall, and an inner wall, all of which form the basic framework of the building. In some instances, there may also be structural joists or studs, though this depends on the building materials and methods.

There is insulating material placed such that it is in direct contact with the inner side of the outer wall and all portions of the inner side of the outer wall except where the outer wall has been removed for some other building component to pass through it. The insulation is of a size which permits there to be a plurality of air cavities through which air can flow freely in the space encompassed between the inner walls, the outer walls, and the insulation. It is also possible to form windows and doors in such a manner that they, too, have inner and outer walls with air cavities between the walls. For instance, if one were to build this invention, a window unit might actually consist of two separate double paned windows, between which there is an air cavity and perhaps holes or a screened area along the sides of the windows to permit air flow between the cavities in the windows and the cavities in the walls. The same can also apply to doors and other building components

On at least one side of the building (where the sides are formed by the outer walls), there is a place of some significant area, and not in the location of a joist or a stud, where the outer wall and the insulating material are not present, such that the air cavity is open to the outside of the building. In this location, there is present an air duct that is closed on all sides except where it comes into contact with the perimeters of the open area on the building. Thus, it is designed such that air can flow from the ductwork to the air cavity and the reverse. This ductwork terminates and is closed at one endpoint. At its other endpoint, it is linearly connected to another piece of ductwork which is closed on all sides except its endpoints such that air can flow from the air cavities into the open ductwork then into the closed ductwork. This closed ductwork is then connected by its other endpoint to the outlet on the heating/cooling system, thereby permitting the heating/cooling system to force air out and into the closed ductwork, into the open ductwork attached to the side of the building, then into the air cavities between the inner and outer walls of the building.

In the first embodiment described above, the object of the system is to create a stable temperature within the much smaller volume of air within the air cavities. In turn, this will provide an extra degree of insulation beyond that which is capable of insulation made of any solid material. This will have the effect of decreasing reliance on forced air heating or cooling on the occupied or living space inside the building, thus stabilizing the temperature more easily and with less energy.

In addition to air being forced into the air cavities, one possible embodiment can also include a duct located on a different side of the building which returns air to the heating/cooling system. The preferred embodiment would be for the building to intake the temperature conditioned air via ductwork located underneath the floor and to exhaust the treated air from ductwork located above the ceiling. It is also possible to only intake air from inside the wall or only input air into the walls, as opposed to having both an intake and an exhaust. The other ductwork could be located inside the occupied/living space encompassed by the inner walls, much as a traditional heating and air system. This would also help to stabilize the air system inside the building (both in the air cavities and in the occupied/living space). Another embodiment could include multiple sections of ductwork which serve the same purpose, be it exhaust of treated air or intake of treated air. This would ultimately depend on the size of the building, climate, and temperature requirements. Ideally, the exhaust and intake ducts would be located on different sides of the building so as to permit the conditioned air to fully circulate and have the greatest effect. Another possibility would be to include an overflow vent which would be a vent through the inner wall, such that it would let the conditioned air flow not only between the walls but also into the interior occupied or living space.

Another alternate embodiment would include any of the above systems with a specialized fairly rigid insulating material that would have interlocking sides all around. This would permit one to put the pieces of insulation up and it would connect at each side somewhat like a puzzle.

The primary purpose of this entire invention, with consideration of all possible embodiments, is to provide a high gradient temperature barrier between the inside and outside of the building and to provide a stable environment inside the building at a lower energy cost. The air cavities between the inner and outer walls will lose or gain heat both to the outside and the inside of the building. However, with the insulation present against the outside wall, the goal is that the heat transfer will be greatest between the air cavity and the occupied/living space of the building, thus maintaining a very stable environment inside the building. The stability in interior temperature will create a much more comfortable environment with much less of a temperature gradient within the occupied/living space. Due to this stabilized temperature and the need to condition a lower volume of air, the system would run much more efficiently than traditional heating and cooling systems.

In the description, the invention has been described with a particular embodiment. However, those skilled in the art may utilize other embodiments and modifications. The invention as described is not limited solely to the preferred embodiments as depicted and described. 

1. A system and method of constructing a structure, in which heated and cooled air are utilized as a method for maintaining temperature on the interior of said structure: whereby the structure consists of multiple outer walls which form the basic outer architecture and the same number of inner walls constructed within the inner boundaries of the outer walls and of a concentric nature such that between the outer walls and the inner walls there is a cavity of sufficient volume to permit air to flow through it whereby insulating material is placed adjacent to the inner sides of the outer walls in such a manner that the cavity between the inner and outer walls is still of sufficient volume to permit air to flow through it and all interior sides of the outer wall are in direct contact with either other structural members or insulation, the exception being where the inner or outer wall has been removed for other items to pass through them whereby the temperature conditioned air is forced into a system of ductwork which has a beginning point at the source of the temperature conditioned air and one or more sections which run to the side of the structure then along a substantial length on that side, each coming to some endpoint, while being designed continuously such that air can flow freely from the source of the temperature conditioned air to the endpoints of each section whereby the section of ductwork that is located directly against one side of the structure has a section from one of its outer walls that has been removed in a way such that the perimeters of the section of the ductwork with no wall are in direct contact with the outermost portion of the outer wall, whereas there is also a place cut into the outermost wall of the structure such that the open area of the ductwork matches up with the open area of the outermost wall of the structure, in such a way so as to permit the conditioned air to flow out of the ductwork and into the air cavities contained by the inner and outer walls of the walls whereby all other components of the outer perimeter of the structure are also of a dual nature with inner and outer walls such that there exists cavities through which air can flow freely and there is some means of permitting air to flow from the perimeters of these items such that the air can flow between the cavities between the inner and outer walls and the cavities between the other items.
 2. The system and method as stated in claim 1: whereby there is another system of ductwork which has one or more beginning points on one side of the structure not utilized by the ductwork mentioned in claim 1 and which runs to the return air intake for the source of the temperature conditioned air, set up such that air can flow freely from the beginning points on the side of the structure to the return air intake whereby the sections of ductwork that are connected to the return air intake for the source of the temperature conditioned air each have a section from one of their outer walls that has been removed in a way such that the perimeters of the section of the ductwork with no wall are in direct contact with the outer wall of the side of the structure, whereas there is also a place cut into the outermost wall of the structure such that the open area of the ductwork matches up with the open area of the outermost wall of the structure, in such a way so as to permit the conditioned air to flow out of the air cavities contained by the inner and outer walls and into the ductwork, then return to the intake of the source of the temperature conditioned air
 3. The system and method as stated in claim 2 whereby the method as described would be used in conjunction with other either existing or yet to be determined heating or cooling means which directly or indirectly attempt to treat the air which is contained within the shell formed only by the inner walls, as opposed to treating the air which is contained within the inner and outer walls of the structure.
 4. The system and method as stated in claim 1 whereby there is another system of ductwork which has one or more beginning points where the ductwork opens up on the inside of the structure and which run from the inside of the structure to the return air intake for the source of the temperature conditioned air, set up continuously such that the air can flow freely from the opening of the ductwork to the return air intake for the source of the temperature conditioned air.
 5. A system and method of constructing a structure, in which heated and cooled air are utilized as a method for maintaining temperature on the interior of said structure: whereby the structure consists of multiple outer walls which form the basic outer structure and the same number of inner walls constructed within the inner boundaries of the outer walls and of a concentric nature such that between the outer walls and the inner walls there is a cavity of sufficient volume to permit air to flow through it whereby insulating material is placed adjacent to the inner sides of the outer walls in such a manner that the cavity between the inner and outer walls is still of sufficient volume to permit air to flow through it and all interior sides of the outer wall are in direct contact with other structural members or insulation, the exception being where the inner or outer wall has been removed for other items to pass through them whereby there is a system of ductwork which has a beginning point at the outlet of the source for temperature conditioned air and one or more sections which run to an endpoint where the ductwork opens up on the inside of the structure, the sections being joined linearly into one continuous piece, through which air can flow freely from the outlet of the source for temperature conditioned air to the inside of the structure whereby there is another system of ductwork which has one or more beginning points on one side of the structure and which run some substantial length along the side of the structure then connect to one or more sections which run from that side of the structure to the return air intake for the source of the temperature conditioned air, the sections being joined such that air can flow freely from the side of the structure to the intake of the source of the temperature conditioned air whereby the sections of ductwork that are located directly on the outer side of the structure each have a section from one of their outer walls that has been removed in a way such that the perimeters of the section of the ductwork with no wall are in direct contact with the side of the outer wall of the side of the structure, whereas there is also a place cut into the outermost wall of the structure such that the open area of the ductwork matches up with the open area of the outermost wall of the structure, in such a way as to permit the conditioned air to flow out of the air cavities contained by the inner and outer walls and into the ductwork, then returned to the source of the temperature conditioned air.
 6. The system and method is stated in claim 1 whereby there also exists at least one overflow vent which is situated through some portion of the interior wall such that it permits air to flow from the cavity between the outer and inner walls and into the inside of the structure (that area which is contained within the shell formed only by the inner walls).
 7. The system and method as stated in claim 1, 2, or 5 whereby the insulating material is fairly rigid and of a basic rectangular shape with four corners, consisting of two pairs of corners which are situated opposite from each other and two pairs of sides which are also situated oppositely from each other: whereby each pair of sides is fabricated of a shape such that each side of the pair is the complement of the other; i.e. if one side has an oval protruding from that side, then the opposite side will have an oval shape cut into that side in the same location linearly along the side of the piece of material whereby each piece of insulating material would interlock at each of its four sides with other pieces of insulating material. 